Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) and Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER), in partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), today announced the next phase of their global partnership, bringing the Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service to the Uber platform in Dubai.
Expected to launch in the coming month, the fully autonomous vehicles will be available via the Uber app across select locations within the Jumeirah area, and the deployment will expand based on operational learnings and regulatory approvals across the city.
This collaboration also aligns directly with Dubai’s ambitious goal of having 25% of all transportation trips be autonomous by 2030.
For trips within the service area, passengers will have the opportunity to be matched with an Apollo Go vehicle when booking an Uber Comfort or UberX, or by selecting the “Autonomous” option in the Uber app. Fleet management will be handled by third-party operator New Horizon.
“Bringing Apollo Go to Dubai via the Uber platform marks a pivotal step in our mission to provide safe, efficient, and accessible autonomous mobility worldwide,” said Nan Yang, Vice President of Baidu and General Manager of Overseas Business Unit, Intelligent Driving Group. “As a key deliverable of the strategic partnership between Apollo Go and Uber announced last July, this deployment officially brings our autonomous ride-hailing service to Dubai, utilizing Uber’s vast network to turn our shared vision into reality.”
“We’re excited to partner with Baidu as we continue to grow our autonomous footprint across Dubai. Just as we helped millions of people try out EVs for the first time, we will expand consumer access to autonomous technology in major cities around the world,” said Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous at Uber. “With more than 20 AV partners already completing millions of autonomous trips annually, Uber is the global platform where the autonomous vehicle industry can launch at scale.”
